New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-05-02
CUSTOM HOUSE scHEMINd.
THE SERVICE BADLY DEMoRALIzED.
INCREASE IN THE FoRcE AND THE EXPENSES
10000 .yr nv rrfp AT oDDs

now prevailed when Mr, hedncn was Ooneo'oi'
Then Surveyor Beatie the real executive oncer as
ne stood ior John Keenan, and Hubert o. Thompson,
both of whom made his office their headquarters MT
| Hedden was willing to obey orders and draw MS
salary according to the understanding by waicn 10
| was appointed. When keenan, emgrated 10 Oanaua
and Thompson died Mr.. Hedden had no one to protect
him and the President removed him in the name OF
Civil Service Reform the same cover under when nc
was originally appointed There is good authority ior
stating that Surveyor Beattie whose conte mpt 10,
Civil Service Reform Is undsguised was also marheu
for dismissal but that the attempt OF Bierai 10 XIII
b; intcrtered with the scheme Mr. Beattie was for
the time being saved, but since he returned to dnty
although he has not yet spent much time III Ms once
there has been revival OF tho effort TO nave MN re-
| moved.
M Reatte was stenographer and the private secre-
| tarv of William c. whitney when be was Corpora
ton Counsel and at the same time Mr. behtue was
| drawing about $3.50 month from the fupno "ora'
Department under the administration Oh huber. ~
Thompson. In return for this double pay from the
| CITY treasury Mr.. Beatte did good deal oil pohtcai
work for the County Democracy. He was afterward
made deruty county clerk by John Keenan,, who was
the real head OF that Office, and received Sl ooV
year in addition to the regular salary OF tne oeps
| With the aid of Secretary Whitney he was made
reform Surveyor in which office he succeeded 80
we'll that he has managed to remove about sixty n-
spectors and fill their places with County democrats
without making any mistake as to tho pohtcs VI 'no
| new appointees, despite the Civil Service rules
| Technically however MIR. Beattc does not have the
power either TO appoint remove inspectors Inns
done by the Collector the recommendation OF una
Surveyor or was before Mr.. Magone became Cohee.oi
Until recently Mr. Magone took the ground that rs the
Surveyor was responsible for the inspectors his rec
ommenda atoms should be followed, and the heads OF
| Republicans continued to tall as usual.
the exposure of the game by which Collector He'd
den kept possession of the full eligible list OF thc
Civil Service Examining Board, and the manipulation
of the list 80 that only County Democracy men were
annonted led TO the reorganization OF the EXAMINING
Board and it is said now to be little more uimcu' W
| get In the men who were wanted every time. now
ever that may be- Surveyor Beattie continued ~ make
recommendations tor removal until coolDess sprang
nm betveen him and Collector Mdgone, since when the
CoIIector has not been ready to act on the sur
yeyors recommend ti0ns. and there mas Decn tcm-
porary halt ia the business OF ousting Republicans i'll
that department But under the gulse OF "reorganiz
inc the service "a practice too common TO deceive
the nubf-business in that line will be resumed soon
| and according to all expectations in tae Custom
| House it will go ahead with a neatness ana DIS.
| patchr that will be increased as toe Presidential
| election draws nearer ,
Who has long been accustomed to run the Democratic
party in ST. Lawrence and some adjoining coun'ies'
As he became familiar with the duties OF Collector ne
showed INCLINATION to take matters INTO MS own
| hands and less TO follow Surveyor Beatties snggcs
| tioas At the sane time complaints about surveyor
Beates management OF his Office IN tho interest oil MS
political faction grew louder, and the civil Service
| Reform Assoc alton made effort TO have him re-
| moved. In the meantime new Secretary OF the
| Treasury came in. who was less familiar WIN Mr;
Beauties services 10 his party trends and VINO showed
| some disposition to help the men who we're trying 10
g,t Beattie out Mr. Beatties friends assert tia Col
ector Macone really inspired this movement 10 get ap
nointed Su,veyor who would be subseryient 10 him.
About this time the GOODNESS spIang up between the
| Surveyor and the Collector: Mr. hagone TOOK tbe
ground that his position Of Collector was like that OF
General in the army and that the Surveyor was serving
| under him aud should follow his directions. mr.
Beattie objected to any such interpretation OF his
Ia a-ih at he
President and Senate in the same way as MT hagone
and was in under the Collector aud point ay
declined 20 obey HIS orders II IA probable that bad
not Secretary Whtneys influence been exerted IN
| behalf of Mr.. Beattie he would have been removed
Rut there Ia still an almost daily ectation In the
Custom House that he viii have TO 60. az charges
affecting the administration OF his office have been ed
with the President and the Seceary OF the Treasury
The Civil Service Reform Association has taken some
mart I'm this matter Secretary Potts, in answer to IN
| auinos tho subject said that the Surveyors ONCE
| was in a bad condition, and that under Mr. Beattie
the Cvi Service regulations had been eVadea ana 'he
| department badly demcralIzed.
| Among the charges made against Nj. Beatte Is the
one concerning his effort to get nd OF old men by the
use Of detectives He has ten inspectors detailed as
| roundsmen" who simply detectives set to watch
their associates The inspectors are under the orders
| OF the superintendent of the Barge Once plAce
created under this reform Administration and hed by
| a man of somewhat limited education from lin
Campbes district His name IA Whalen: Inns
superintendent appears TO have been selected by the
| Surveyor with the special intention OF making lille
miserable for the old employees and OF getting them
|
| he works were given 20 TRIBUNE reporter. TVS
the business OF the Inspectors II called on to do 30 10
superin Id the discharge OF vessel but this work
cannot te done properly excepting alter instruction
and by experience. There are many inspectors
engaged in other work who have never had any cx-
pefience la dischargiDg vessels superintendent
| Whalen is charged with having repeatedly selected
inspectors who had never discharged vessels and de-
tailed them 10 do this work Then after they had
made a beginning the roundsman would bo sent TO
report on their work Ii would he found deficient IN
respect and Immediately they would be reported
| inoo nd To or "a
by the Surveyor According TO the charges, these
roundsmen have been occupied wholly in this sort OF
business but in instance have they yet discovered
anything wrong in the work OF inspectors appointed
under tho present administration.
Another instance OF Superintendent Whalens
methods was mentioned in connection with Inspector
Travis one OF the old experienced men. He was long
ago assigned to duty in Brooklyn and he was settled
there with his family Without any reason Supern-
teudent whalcn changed his assignment to Hoboken.
Mr. Travis removed his family aud had just got iair
settled IN %nsn nH .nobS in be
halt OF Travis telling about the hardship Of such treat
ment the threatened to have them both
removed Largely by such means and methods IA
this has Surveyor Beattie been able TO get rid OF so
many old Inspectors 1t Is also charged that the Sur
lsSore,s in the business OF weighing ali OF whom are
| taken only oil recommendation OF County Democracy
leaders. The expenses OF Meighers and gaugers ior
March this year S3O,67s, an increase OF $S3sS
over the month last year. and there was like
increase in April In the same time there has been an
increase OF nineteen in tho number OF night inspectors
and OF eleven in the number OF day inspectors, and
| other additions to the force.
The friends OF the Surveyor assert that for any in
crease in the force Collector Magone Is responsible,
and they hint at revelations concerning eyaons OF the
Civil Service law. can tell you, said one OF the
Surveyors -employes, " that the Custom House
thoroughly demoralized under Collector Magone
| that he has appointed large number OF experts and
confidential clerks in evasion OF tho Civil Service law
that his office is political CENTRE and, and that all
| the old employees are demorazed because they feel
that it only question OF time when they VIII have
| TO CO. Why, this Mugwump commission to make
recommendations for the purpose of reorganzing the
Office is a device 20 removals and appoint
ments. All the old employees will tell you that such
| is the case"
TO test truth OF these charges the reporter called
the Collector for information concerning the bns-
ness OF Custom Hor Sc the number OF experts
identia clerks, etc, employed. w Without hesitation
the Collector gave directions that the reporter have
acces, 10 the books and be allowed TO get such In